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Operation Bluebird has launched Twitter.now, a new social media platform using the Twitter name. The Virginia startup says it has no ties to Elon Musk’s X. Early access opens while X challenges its right to use the brand in federal court.
The company argues that X abandoned the Twitter identity after Musk renamed the original platform. However, the dispute has not produced a final court decision. Its plans combine familiar posting features with tools intended to give users more control over their feeds.
Cofounder Stephen Coates, a former Twitter trademark lawyer and the startup’s general counsel, announced the launch in a LinkedIn post. He said early members would help build and test the service. Coates wrote in his announcement, “We are not X and are not affiliated with X Corp.”
Twitter.now charges $20 for Founder membership. Members receive early access, a numbered badge and an opportunity to secure a username.
A separate option costs $40 or more and adds a Fighter badge. Operation Bluebird says these contributions fund development and its effort to defend the Twitter name, according to its website.
Meanwhile, Coates said the company had investors and a working product after months of waiting to launch. Initial reports described hundreds of users and familiar features, including replies and retweets.
The startup says username reservations apply only to its platform and do not establish rights on other services.
X Corp. sued Operation Bluebird in Delaware federal court in December 2025. It sought a preliminary injunction, asking a judge to block the new platform’s launch.
The startup bases its case on alleged abandonment of the Twitter name, the word “tweet” and the bird logo. Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and changed its public branding to X in July 2023.
X argues that rebranding did not end its trademark rights. Its lawsuit cited continued use of twitter.com and public recognition of the Twitter name. The company also alleged that Bluebird’s branding would confuse consumers.
During an April 2026 hearing, Judge Colm Connolly tentatively questioned X’s rights to the tweet name and bird logo. His comments also raised doubts about the Twitter name, according to reports.
However, the report said Connolly had not issued a written order on X’s request when Twitter.now launched.
Separately, Operation Bluebird filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Twitter trademark registrations. Its legal FAQ distinguishes that process from the lawsuit, which concerns alleged trademark infringement and unfair competition.
Twitter.now also promotes Vera, an automated tool designed to assess claims in posts. Reports describe the system as using Google’s Gemini technology and undergoing tests with deliberately false statements.
Coates has tested it by incorrectly describing George Washington as the second US president.
However, Twitter.now’s public website labels its Vera section “Coming Soon.” It describes the feed controls shown on its homepage as illustrative.
The planned controls let users choose how much content with low credibility scores appears in their feeds. Coates describes the approach as “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach.”
According to the company’s FAQ, the system may indicate uncertainty when it lacks enough evidence to assess a claim. The planned service adds source links and explanations beside posts to help users evaluate information.
The company also prohibits threats, harassment, scams and child exploitation under its stated safety rules.
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